Article of Footwear With a Marking System

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear with a marking system is disclosed. The marking system is configured to help locate one or more portions of a foot during training of an athlete. The marking system includes markings disposed on an upper of an article of footwear.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. Pat. No. ______,currently U.S. application Ser. No. 12/129,216, entitled “Article ofFootwear With a Marking System” (referred to herein as “the MarkingSystem Case”), filed on May 29, 2008, and is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an article of footwear, and inparticular to an article of footwear with a marking system.

2. Description of Related Art

Articles of footwear with stripes or markings have been previouslyproposed. Cox (U.S. Pat. No. 7,325,337) teaches footwear with changeablestripes. Cox teaches a shoe that can have a stripe located within arecess upon the back counter or rear heel portion of the shoe, where thestripe may extend further thereunder, during application. Thus, thestripe may be located within the recess, or it may be removed, andreversed, and relocated therein. Such a stripe can be fabricated of aluminescent material, in order to furnish some glowing, during theevening or night, to furnish safety to the footwear when worn.

Cox fails to teach provisions for facilitating locating one or moreportions of a foot for training purposes. Cox also fails to teachprovisions for training an athlete using one or more markings. There isa need in the art for a design that overcomes these shortcomings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention discloses an article of footwear with a marking system. Inone aspect, the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising:an upper including a first portion and a second portion; the secondportion being disposed between the first portion and a sole system ofthe article of footwear; a marking system associated with the upper, themarking system including a set of markings; each marking of the markingsystem extending through the first portion; and wherein the markingsystem is configured to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of afoot.

In another aspect, the marking system includes a first marking disposedin a toe portion of the upper.

In another aspect, the marking system includes a second marking disposedin a lateral portion of the upper.

In another aspect, the marking system includes a third marking disposedin a heel portion of the upper.

In another aspect, the marking system includes a fourth marking disposedin a medial portion of the upper.

In another aspect, at least one marking of the set of markings extendsto an outsole of the sole system.

In another aspect, the invention provides an article of footwear,comprising: an upper; a marking system associated with the upper, themarking system including a set of markings; the marking system includinga first marking and a third marking that define a longitudinal axisalong a length of the sole system; the marking system including a secondmarking and a fourth marking that define a lateral axis along a width ofthe sole system; and where the intersection of the longitudinal axis andthe lateral axis corresponds to a predetermined portion of a foot.

In another aspect, the upper includes a first portion and a secondportion disposed between the first portion and a sole system and whereinthe marking set is disposed in the first portion.

In another aspect, the marking set extends through the first portion andthe second portion.

In another aspect, the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersectin a forefoot portion of the upper.

In another aspect, the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersectin a portion of the upper that corresponds to a ball of a foot.

In another aspect, the marking set has a cross-hair configuration.

In another aspect, a portion of the marking system is visible when thearticle of footwear is planted on the ground.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of using an articleof footwear, comprising the steps of: observing the location of aplurality of markings associated with a marking system on an upper ofthe article of footwear when a lower surface of a sole system is incontact with a ground surface; and determining the relative location ofa predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to thelocation of the plurality of markings, wherein the predetermined portionis disposed on the upper.

In another aspect, the predetermined portion is a portion of the uppercorresponding to a ball of a foot.

In another aspect, the plurality of markings are visible on a sideperipheral portion of the upper.

In another aspect, the step of determining the relative location of thepredetermined portion includes a step of associating a longitudinal axisand a lateral axis with the plurality of markings.

In another aspect, the step of associating the longitudinal axis and thelateral axis with the plurality of markings is followed by a step ofdetermining the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateralaxis.

In another aspect, the article of footwear can be used to train anathlete.

In another aspect, the motion of the article of footwear as a wearermoves can be recorded with a monitoring device and analyzed on a videodisplay system.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention willbe, or will become apparent to one with skill in the art uponexamination of the following figures and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features andadvantages be included within this description, be within the scope ofthe invention, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, likereference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a medial portion of anarticle of footwear;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lateral portion of anarticle of footwear;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a heel portion of anarticle of footwear;

FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of an article of footwear;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a trainingsystem;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateralportion of an article of footwear;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a heelportion of an article of footwear; and

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateralportion of an article of footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an embodiment of article of footwear 100. Inparticular, FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a medialportion of article of footwear 100 and FIG. 2 is an isometric view of anembodiment of a lateral portion of article of footwear 100. FIG. 3 is anisometric view of an embodiment of a heel portion of article of footwear100. For clarity, the following detailed description discusses anembodiment, in the form of a sneaker, but it should be noted that thepresent invention could take the form of any article of footwearincluding, but not limited to soccer shoes, football shoes, rugby shoes,baseball shoes as well as other kinds of shoes. As shown in FIGS. 1-3,article of footwear 100, also referred to simply as article 100, isintended to be used with a right foot; however, it should be understoodthat the following discussion may equally apply to a mirror image ofarticle of footwear 100 that is intended for use with a left foot.

Article of footwear 100 preferably includes upper 102. Generally, upper102 may be any type of upper. In particular, upper 102 could have anydesign, shape, size and/or color. For example, in embodiments whereupper 102 is a basketball shoe, upper 102 could be a high top upper thatis shaped to provide high support for an ankle. In embodiments whereupper 102 is a running shoe, upper 102 could be a low top upper.

Preferably, upper 102 is configured to receive a foot of a wearer. Insome embodiments, upper 102 includes entry hole 103 configured toreceive a foot of a wearer. Typically, entry hole 103 allows a foot tobe inserted into an interior of upper 102.

Referring to FIG. 1, upper 102 may also include medial portion 106.Also, upper 102 may include lateral portion 107 disposed opposite medialportion 106, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Preferably, medial portion 106may be associated with an inside of a foot. Similarly, lateral portion107 may be associated with an outside of a foot.

Upper 102 may include toe portion 113 that is associated with the toesof a foot. Also, upper 102 may include heel portion 114 that isassociated with a heel of a foot, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Upper 102may also include middle portion 115 that is disposed between toe portion113 and heel portion 114. In some cases, middle portion 115 isassociated with a midfoot, including an arch of the foot and a top ofthe foot.

For purposes of clarity, only some portions of upper 102 are discussedin this embodiment. It should be understood that upper 102 may includeother provisions that are known in the art for an upper of an article offootwear. For example, upper 102 may include a fastening system tosecure upper 102 to a foot inserted within article 100. Also, in somecases, upper 102 may be configured with provisions to increase thestability of a foot inserted within article 100.

In some embodiments, upper 102 may be associated with sole system 105.Sole system 105 may comprise multiple components. In some cases, solesystem 105 may include an outsole. In other cases, sole system 105 mayinclude a midsole. In still other cases, sole system 105 may include aninsole. In one embodiment, sole system 105 may include an outsole, amidsole and an insole.

In an embodiment, sole system 105 includes lower surface 125. Lowersurface 125 is configured to contact a ground surface. For clarity, onlysome portions of sole system 105 are discussed in this embodiment. Itshould be understood that sole system 105 may include other provisions.For example, in some embodiments, lower surface 125 can be provided withone or more tread elements. In other embodiments, lower surface 125 caninclude one or more cleats that are configured to penetrate through aground surface such as grass.

In some embodiments, upper 102 may comprise first portion 131 and secondportion 132. In some cases, first portion 131 may be associated with atop portion of upper 102. Similarly, second portion 132 may beassociated with a peripheral edge of upper 102. Second portion 132 canbe disposed adjacent to sole system 105. In particular, second portion132 is disposed between first portion 131 and sole system 105. Forillustrative purposes, first portion 131 and second portion 132 areseparated by boundary 133 in FIGS. 1-3.

Generally, each component of article of footwear 100 may be constructedof any material. Sole system 105 may be constructed from any suitablematerial, including but not limited to elastomers, siloxanes, naturalrubber, other synthetic rubbers, aluminum, steel, natural leather,synthetic leather, or plastics. Also, upper 102 may be made from anysuitable material, including but not limited to, nylon, natural leather,synthetic leather, natural rubber, or synthetic rubber.

In order to effectively train an athlete, a trainer may be required toaccurately study the positioning of a foot of the athlete during variousathletic drills. In embodiments where the motions of the foot of anathlete may be accurately studied, an article of footwear may includeprovisions to help a trainer accurately determine the location of one ormore portions of a foot of the athlete. In some embodiments, one or moremarkings may be provided on an article of footwear in order to enable atrainer to properly locate one or more portions of the foot. In somecases, a marking system may be provided on an upper of an article offootwear to enable a trainer to accurately locate one or more portionsof a foot.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, upper 102 of article 100 includes marking system410. Generally, marking system 410 may be disposed on any portion ofupper 102. In some cases, marking system 410 may extend through firstportion 131 and second portion 132 of upper 102. In other cases, markingsystem 410 can be disposed in second portion 132 of upper 102. In thisembodiment, marking system 410 extends through first portion 131 ofupper 102.

Generally, marking system 410 includes a set of markings to help locateone or more portions of a foot during training of an athlete. In someembodiments, a set of markings can include less than four markings. Inother embodiments, a set of markings can include more than fourmarkings. In an embodiment, a set of markings can include four markings.In particular, marking system 410 includes first marking 411, secondmarking 412, third marking 413 and fourth marking 414.

In different embodiments, the location of marking system 410 may varywithin first portion 131. In some embodiments, marking system 410 may bedisposed on toe portion 113 of upper 102. In other embodiments, markingsystem 410 may be disposed on middle portion 115 of upper 102. In stillother embodiments, marking system 410 may be disposed on heel portion114 of upper 102. In this embodiment, marking system 410 is disposed intoe portion 113, middle portion 115 and heel portion 114 to facilitatelocating a predetermined portion of a foot. Specifically, first marking411 is disposed on toe portion 113. In addition, second marking 412 isdisposed on lateral portion 107 of middle portion 115. Similarly, fourthmarking 414 is disposed on medial portion 106 of middle portion 115.Finally, third marking 413 is disposed on heel portion 114 of upper 102.

Referring to FIG. 3, third marking 413 may be disposed in variouslocations on first portion 131 of heel portion 114 in order tofacilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot. In someembodiments, first portion 131 of heel portion 114 can include first endportion 201 disposed adjacent to entry hole 103, as illustrated in FIG.3. Similarly, first portion 131 of heel portion 114 can include secondend portion 202 disposed adjacent to second portion 132. Also, firstportion 131 of heel portion 114 can include intermediate portion 203disposed between first end portion 201 and second end portion 202. Insome cases, third marking 413 may be disposed on first end portion 201of first portion 131. In other cases, third marking 413 can be disposedon second end portion 202 of first portion 131. In still other cases,third marking 413 may be disposed on intermediate portion 203 of firstportion 131. It is also possible that third marking 413 can extendthrough any or all portions of first portion 131 of heel portion 114. Inthis embodiment, third marking 413 is disposed on first end portion 201of heel portion 114.

As previously discussed in the Marking System Case, which has alreadybeen incorporated herein by reference, a marking system may be used toimplicitly define a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis to assist inlocating a predetermined portion of a foot. Referring to FIG. 4, firstmarking 411 extends from toe portion 113 of upper 102 towards heelportion 114. Likewise, third marking 413 extends from heel portion 114towards toe portion 113. In an embodiment, first marking 411 and thirdmarking 413 may be substantially co-linear. In particular, first marking411 and third marking 413 may be aligned with longitudinal axis 420. Theterm “longitudinal axis” as used throughout this detailed descriptionand in the claims refers to an axis that extends in a longitudinaldirection, which is a direction extending the length of article 100,including sole system 105 and upper 102.

In a similar manner, second marking 412 may extend from lateral portion107 towards medial portion 106. Likewise, fourth marking 414 may extendfrom medial portion 106 towards lateral portion 107. In an embodiment,second marking 412 and fourth marking 414 may be substantiallyco-linear. In particular, second marking 412 and fourth marking 414 maybe aligned with lateral axis 421, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The term“lateral axis” as used throughout this detailed description and in theclaims refers to an axis that extends in a lateral direction, which is adirection running a width of article 100, including sole system 105 andupper 102. With this arrangement, marking system 410 may be used toimplicitly define longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421.

By defining longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421, marking system410 can indicate an intersection of longitudinal axis 420 and lateralaxis 421 that corresponds to a predetermined portion of a foot. In somecases, marking system 410 may include a marking to indicate theintersection of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421. In othercases, marking system 410 may implicitly indicate the intersection oflongitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421.

Generally, longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 may be configuredto intersect in any portion of upper 102 in order to indicate a portionor feature of a foot. In some embodiments, longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 are configured to intersect in a forefoot portion ofupper 102. In some cases, longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 canintersect in a portion of upper 102 that corresponds to a ball of afoot. In other cases, longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 canintersect in an arch portion of upper 102 to help a trainer accuratelylocate the arch of a foot during a training session. Likewise, in otherembodiments, the intersection of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis421 could correspond with one or more bones in a foot, including, butnot limited to, phalanges, metatarsals, cuniforms and the calcaneus, aswell as other bones. In still other embodiments, the intersection oflongitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 could be associated with aparticular muscle in a foot.

In this embodiment, longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 intersectat ball portion 425. Preferably, ball portion 425 is a location disposedon upper 102 that corresponds to a ball of a foot inserted withinarticle 100 during the use of article 100. In other words, ball portion425 is disposed just above the ball of the foot of an athlete. With thisconfiguration for marking system 410, a trainer may accurately determinethe location of ball portion 425 by knowing the locations of at leasttwo markings of marking system 410 that implicitly define longitudinalaxis 420 and lateral axis 421. This allows the trainer to determine thelocation of ball portion 425 by finding the intersection point oflongitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 that is associated withmarking system 410.

As previously discussed in the Marking System Case, in differentembodiments, the shape of each marking of a marking system can vary. Insome embodiments, each marking can be a straight line with a generallyconstant thickness. In other embodiments, each marking can be a straightline with varying thickness. In still other embodiments, each markingcan have another shape, including, but not limited to, triangularshapes, rectangular shapes, elliptical shapes, regular shapes, irregularshapes as well as other types of shapes.

A marking system can be applied to an upper in any manner. For example,in one embodiment, a marking system may be painted onto an upper using adurable paint. In another example, a marking system can compriseportions of a distinct material that is applied to the upper. Examplesof materials that could be used for a marking system include, but arenot limited to, plastic, rubber, leather, natural fibers, syntheticfibers, metal as well as other types of materials. In some cases, amarking system may be applied to an upper using an adhesive of somekind. In other cases, a marking system may be applied to an upper usingsome type of stitching.

In some cases, a trainer of an athlete may monitor the movement of afoot of an athlete while using a training system. FIG. 5 illustrates anexemplary embodiment of training system 500 for an athlete. In thiscase, training system 500 is associated with practice field 504. Theterm “practice field”, as used throughout this detailed description andin the claims refers to any type of field, court, or generally openspace that may be used for training activities. Examples of practicefields include, but are not limited to football fields, soccer pitchesor fields, lacrosse fields, basketball courts, as well as other types offields and/or courts. Additionally, any open space that may be used fortraining activities such as those described throughout this detaileddescription may also be considered a practice field.

Preferably, training system 500 includes athlete 502. Referring to theMarking System Case, the term “athlete” is intended to include bothprofessional athletes and amateur athletes. Generally, athlete 502 maybe any person wishing to take part in an athletic training activity.Therefore, the term “athlete”, as used throughout this detaileddescription and in the claims, refers to any user of training system500.

Preferably, an article of footwear used with training system 500includes provisions for training an athlete with respect to variousathletic skills that are important for a strong performance in manysports. Examples of these athletic skills include, but are not limitedto stride length, forefoot planting technique, linear speed, lateralspeed, left turning speed, right turning speed, starting acceleration,mid-stride acceleration, deceleration as well as other capabilities. Forexample, a running back in football must have good lateral speed inorder to avoid tackles. Therefore, it may be important to have atraining system with special emphasis placed on one or more of theseathletic skills.

In some cases, practice field 504 may include provisions to assist inaccurately locating athlete 502 on practice field 504. For example, inthis embodiment, practice field 504 includes grid 505. Generally, grid505 can be any type of grid. Furthermore, grid 505 can include any sizespacing. In this embodiment, the size of grid 505 can be selected toallow for accurate measurements of the locations of a portion of a footduring a training session.

As previously discussed in the Marking System Case, a training systemcan include provisions such as a monitoring device to capture themovements of a foot of an athlete during a training session. Monitoringdevices include, but are not limited to camera, video cameras as well asother devices configured to capture the movement of an athlete.Furthermore, a monitoring device may be associated with one or moreprovisions for receiving information about the performance of an athleteduring a training session. In some cases, a monitoring device may becommunication with a computer. The term “computer” refers to any deviceincluding a central processing unit, some kind of memory, a userinterface and mechanisms for input/output. In addition, a monitoringdevice may be in communication with a video display system. The term“video display system” as used throughout this detailed description andin the claims refers to any system that includes provisions fordisplaying one or more video images received from a monitoring device.For purposes of clarity, a monitoring device and other associateddevices such as a computer and video display system are not shown withtraining system 500. However, it should be understood that a trainer mayutilize these devices with a training system as described in embodimentsin the Marking System Case.

Referring to FIG. 5, as athlete 502 moves on practice field 504, atrainer may determine the motion of foot 520 during a portion of thetraining session. For example, the trainer may wish to determine theexact location of the ball of foot 520 during a particular athleticmaneuver in order to determine if athlete 502 is performing the maneuvercorrectly. Preferably, training system 500 includes provisions forassisting a trainer in accurately determining the location of one ormore portions of foot 520, such as the ball of foot 520.

In this embodiment, athlete 502 is wearing article 100 as seen in theenlarged view in FIG. 5. As previously discussed, article 100 isconfigured with marking system 410. Furthermore, marking system 410includes first marking 411, second marking 412, third marking 413, andfourth marking 414. However, only first marking 411 and fourth marking414 may be visible on upper 102. In other words, due to the positioningof foot 520, a trainer can only see first marking 411 and fourth marking414.

In order to accurately determine the location of ball portion 425, atrainer may utilize marking system 410. Preferably, the trainer mayobserve the location of a plurality of markings of marking system 410 todetermine the location of ball portion 425. In this case, the trainermay observe the location of first marking 411 by inspecting article 100.Also, the trainer may determine the location of fourth marking 414 in asimilar manner. At this point, the trainer may associate longitudinalaxis 420 with first marking 411 and lateral axis 421 with fourth marking414. In some cases, this can be accomplished with a graphical program ofsome kind that may be associated with a computer. In other cases, atrainer can mentally estimate the locations of longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421. Preferably, the trainer may then proceed to determinewhere longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 may intersect. Thepoint of intersection then allows the trainer to identify the locationof ball portion 425. Furthermore, using grid 505, the trainer canaccurately determine the location of a ball of foot 520 with respect topractice field 404. In some cases, a trainer can repeat these steps todetermine the location of ball portion 425 throughout a particular timeinterval of the training session as previously discussed in the MarkingSystem Case.

Although the current embodiment discusses a single foot with a singlearticle of footwear, it should be understood that training system 500can be used to monitor and accurately study both feet of athlete 502including an associated pair of footwear. Furthermore, although thecurrent embodiment is used for determining the accurate location of aball of a foot, in other embodiments, a marking system for an article offootwear can be used to accurately locate other portions of a foot, suchas a toe portion, an arch portion, a heel portion, as well as otherportions. In addition, in some embodiments, multiple marking systems canbe used on an article of footwear for simultaneous location of multipleportions of a foot.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are isometric views of an alternative embodiment ofarticle of footwear 600. FIG. 6 illustrates an isometric view with anenlarged view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion ofarticle of footwear 600. FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternativeembodiment of a heel portion of article of footwear 600.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, article 600 includes upper 602. Generally,upper 602 may be any type of upper. In particular, upper 602 could haveany design, shape, size and/or color. In addition, upper 602 includesmedial portion 606 and lateral portion 607, disposed opposite of medialportion 606. Also, upper 602 is configured with middle portion 615 thatis disposed between toe portion 623 and heel portion 624 of upper 602.

In this embodiment, upper 602 is associated with sole system 605. Solesystem 605 may comprise multiple components. In particular, sole system605 can include an outsole, midsole and/or an insole. Furthermore, solesystem 605 may be associated with outer peripheral portion 622.Preferably, outer peripheral portion 622 is a side edge of sole system605. In other words, outer peripheral portion 622 may be visible in aside view of article 600. In some cases, outer peripheral portion 622may be configured with a straight edge as outer peripheral portion 622joins upper 602. In this embodiment, outer peripheral portion 622 isconfigured with a contoured edge as outer peripheral portion 622 joinsupper 602.

Similar to the previous embodiment of upper 102 illustrated in FIGS.1-4, upper 602 includes first portion 631 and second portion 632. Aspreviously described, second portion 632 is disposed between firstportion 631 and sole system 605. For illustrative purposes, firstportion 631 is separated from second portion 632 by boundary 633 inFIGS. 6 and 7.

In embodiments where a trainer may have difficulty viewing a firstportion of an upper, a marking system may be disposed in a secondportion of an upper to facilitate accurately locating one or moreportions of a foot. In some cases, a marking system may be disposed in asecond portion of an upper without extending into a first portion of anupper. In other cases, a marking system may extend through both a firstportion and a second portion of an upper.

In this alternative embodiment, upper 602 includes marking system 610.Similar to the previous embodiment of marking system 410 illustrated inFIG. 4, marking system 610 includes first marking 611, second marking612, third marking 613 and fourth marking 614. However, in thisembodiment, marking system 610 is disposed in both first portion 631 andsecond portion 632 of upper 602. In particular, first marking 611extends through both first portion 631 and second portion 632 on toeportion 623. Similarly, second marking 612 extends through first portion631 and second portion 632 on lateral portion 607 of middle portion 615.

As seen in the enlarged view, first marking 611 includes first endportion 651 and second end portion 652 on toe portion 623. First endportion 651 is disposed in first portion 631 of upper 602. Likewise,second end portion 652 is disposed in second portion 632 of upper 602.Furthermore, second end portion 652 is disposed adjacent to outerperipheral portion 622 of sole system 605. However, second end portion652 does not contact sole system 605. With this arrangement, firstmarking 611 extends through first portion 631 and second portion 632.

In a similar manner, second marking 612 is configured with first endportion 661 and second end portion 662. First end portion 661 isdisposed in first portion 631 of upper 602. Similarly, second endportion 662 is disposed in second portion 632 of upper 602. Inparticular, second end portion 662 is disposed adjacent to outerperipheral portion 622 without contacting outer peripheral portion 622.In other words, second end portion 662 may extend into second portion632 and be spaced apart from sole system 605. Preferably, fourth marking614 is disposed on medial portion 606 in a substantially similar manner.

Referring to FIG. 7, third marking 613 of marking system 610 is disposedon heel portion 624. Third marking 613 extends between first end portion671 and second end portion 672. First end portion 671 is disposed infirst portion 631. Specifically, first end portion 671 is disposedadjacent to entry hole 603 of upper 602. Similarly, second end portion672 is disposed in second portion 632. In particular, second end portion672 is disposed adjacent to sole system 605. However, like the othermarkings of marking system 610, third marking 613 does not contact solesystem 605 as third marking 613 extends through first portion 631 andsecond portion 632. With this arrangement of marking system 610, atrainer can observe the markings of marking system 610 when either firstportion 631 or second portion 632 of upper 602 is obscured.

In embodiments where an upper extends to an outsole of a sole system, amarking system on the upper may be disposed adjacent to the outsole. Insome cases, an upper may cover a midsole of a sole system as the upperextends to an outsole. In other cases, an upper may extend to an outsoleof a sole system that is configured without a midsole. Preferably, anupper that extends to an outsole can be provided with a marking systemthat enables a trainer to accurately locate one or more portions of afoot.

FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of alateral portion of article of footwear 800. In this embodiment, articleof footwear 800 includes upper 802 and sole system 805. Upper 802includes toe portion 823 and heel portion 824. Also, upper 802 includesmiddle portion 825 disposed between toe portion 823 and heel portion824. Furthermore, in a similar manner to previous embodiments, upper 802includes first portion 831 and second portion 832 disposed between firstportion 831 and sole system 805. For illustrative purposes, boundary 833is shown between first portion 831 and second portion 832.

In this embodiment, sole system 805 includes outsole 806 and midsole807. Sole system 805 may also include an insole not visible in thisFigure. Preferably, outsole 806 is configured to contact a groundsurface. Midsole 807 is disposed above outsole 806. However, in thisalternative embodiment, upper 802 extends to outsole 806 and coversmidsole 807. Specifically, second portion 832 of upper 802 coversmidsole 807. For illustrative purposes, midsole 807 is illustrated witha dashed line on upper 802.

In this alternative embodiment, upper 802 is configured with markingsystem 810 to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a footinserted within upper 802. Marking system 810 is substantially similarto marking system 410 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. In particular, markingsystem 810 includes first marking 811, second marking 812, third marking813 and fourth marking 814. In some cases, marking system 810 may notextend through both first portion 831 and second portion 832 of upper802. In this embodiment, markings of marking system 810 extend throughfirst portion 831 and second portion 832 of upper 802. With thisconfiguration, marking system 810 may be disposed on a portion of upper802 that covers midsole 807.

As seen in the enlarged view, first marking 811 includes first endportion 851 and second end portion 852 on toe portion 823. First endportion 851 is disposed in first portion 831 of upper 802. Likewise,second end portion 852 is disposed in second portion 832 of upper 802.In particular, second end portion 852 is disposed adjacent to outsole806 of sole system 805. This arrangement allows first marking 811 toextend through first portion 831 and into second portion 832 as secondportion 832 covers midsole 807. With this arrangement, first marking 811is disposed adjacent to outsole 806.

In a similar manner, second marking 812 is configured with first endportion 861 and second end portion 862. First end portion 861 isdisposed in first portion 831 of upper 802. Similarly, second endportion 862 is disposed in second portion 832 of upper 802. Inparticular, second end portion 862 is disposed adjacent to outsole 806.In other words, second end portion 862 may extend into second portion832 as second portion 832 covers midsole 807. Using this arrangement,second marking 812 may extend through first portion 831 and secondportion 832 of upper 802.

Preferably, fourth marking 814 is disposed on medial portion 816 ofupper 802 in a substantially similar manner as second marking 812 onlateral portion 817. Additionally, third marking 813 may be disposed onheel portion 824 of upper 802 in a manner substantially similar to theprevious embodiment of marking system 610 illustrated in FIG. 7.However, in this embodiment, third marking 813 may extend into secondportion 832 as second portion 832 covers midsole 807. With thisarrangement, a portion of third marking 813 may be disposed adjacent tooutsole 806. This configuration of marking system 810 preferably allowsa trainer to accurately locate one or more predetermined portions of afoot.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, thedescription is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and itwill be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many moreembodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scopeof the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restrictedexcept in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also,various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of theattached claims.

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of: observing the location of a plurality of markings associated with a marking system on an upper of the article of footwear when a lower surface of a sole system is in contact with a ground surface; and determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to the location of the plurality of markings, wherein the predetermined portion is disposed on the upper.
 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined portion is a portion of the upper corresponding to a ball of a foot.
 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of markings are visible on a side peripheral portion of the upper.
 17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of determining the relative location of the predetermined portion includes a step of associating a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis with the plurality of markings.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of associating the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis with the plurality of markings is followed by a step of determining the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis.
 19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the article of footwear can be used to train an athlete.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the motion of the article of footwear as a wearer moves can be recorded with a monitoring device and analyzed on a video display system.
 21. A method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of: providing an article of footwear including: a forefoot portion corresponding with a forefoot region of a foot of a wearer, a middle portion corresponding with a midfoot region of a foot of a wearer, and a heel portion corresponding with a heel region of a foot of a wearer; a sole system having an outer peripheral portion forming a side edge of the sole system that is visible in a side view of the article of footwear, the outer peripheral portion including a contoured edge defining a recess in the sole system extending in a downward direction from a top edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system, the recess being disposed in the forefoot portion of the article of footwear and being substantially smaller than the forefoot portion; an upper attached to the sole system, the upper including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the upper being defined by the contoured edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system and being located below the top edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system, wherein the first portion of the upper is exposed in the recess in the sole system, and wherein the second portion of the upper is located above the top edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system; and a plurality of markings on the upper, each marking of the plurality of markings having a different appearance than adjacent portions of the upper; the plurality of markings including a marking system including a set of markings arranged in alignment with one or more portions of the article of footwear corresponding with at least one predetermined portion of a foot of a wearer; wherein an end portion of a first marking of the plurality of markings extends into the first portion of the upper in the recess defined by the outer peripheral portion; wherein all markings adjacent to the first marking and perpendicular to the first marking are disposed entirely in the second portion of the upper; and wherein the first marking extends in a lateral direction in alignment with a first axis that corresponds with a ball of a foot of a wearer; observing the location of the plurality of markings on the upper of the article of footwear when a lower surface of the sole system is in contact with a ground surface; and determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to the location of the plurality of markings.
 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the end portion of the marking extending into the recess is disposed in a medial portion of the upper.
 23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the end portion of the marking extending into the recess is disposed in a lateral portion of the upper.
 24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of markings are aligned with axes that intersect at a portion of the upper that corresponds with the predetermined portion of the foot.
 25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the predetermined portion of the foot is a ball of the foot.
 26. The method of claim 21, wherein the upper includes an unmarked portion between the sole system and the end portion of the marking extending into the recess.
 27. The method according to claim 21, wherein a second marking adjacent to the first marking is disposed entirely in the second portion of the upper.
 28. The method of claim 21, wherein the marking system includes a first marking and a third marking that define a longitudinal axis along a length of the sole system; the marking system further including a second marking and a fourth marking that define a lateral axis along a width of the sole system; and wherein the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis corresponds to a predetermined bone of the foot; and wherein the intersection is located laterally off center along the width of the sole system.
 29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersect in a forefoot portion of the upper.
 30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the set of markings has a cross-hair configuration.
 31. The method according to claim 28, wherein a portion of the marking system is visible when the article of footwear is planted on the ground.
 32. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of markings are aligned with axes that intersect at a portion of the upper that corresponds with the predetermined portion of the foot; wherein the plurality of markings includes at least one heel marking located on the upper in a heel region of the article of footwear; wherein the heel marking has a first end portion located adjacent an entry hole of the upper, the heel marking extending from the first end portion toward the sole system to a second end portion of the heel marking; and wherein the upper includes an unmarked portion between the sole system and the second end portion of the heel marking.
 33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the marking system includes a marking disposed in a toe portion of the upper that is aligned with the heel marking. 